APWU Knows How to Celebrate Labor Day

APWU members were out in full force this Labor Day, bringing the message of Good Postal Service! Good Jobs! Good Contract! to people at parades, picnics and other festivities.

Linda O’Donnell, president of the Greater Oregon Local, staffed a table at the AFL-CIO Central Oregon Labor Chapter picnic, where she got postcards   signed, declaring, "I Stand with Postal Workers."

The Seattle Area Local  set up shop at the King County Labor Council annual Labor Day picnic, where David Yao, executive vice president of the local, got dozens of postcards signed.

The San Francisco Local had a booth at the city's Labor Day Parade. Alan Menjivar said that besides getting dozens of postcards signed, union members also distributed information about the Stop Staples campaign.

The Sacramento Area Local handed out flyers and collected signatures on postcards at a booth at the Labor Day Celebration at the River Cats Game. The River Cats are a AAA baseball team, affiliated with the San Francisco Giants. 

The San Jose Area Local distributed coloring books at two local elementary schools, that explain not only how the Postal Service works, but why post offices should remain open. 

Further east, the Des Moines Area Local turned cars into parade floats in the city’s Labor Day Parade. As a sign of solidarity, other unions placed signs on APWU floats and vice versa, reported Local President Mike Bates.

“People along the parade route love postal workers!” he said.

The Omaha Area Local came out strong in the town's parade, hoisting a large balloon float and wearing matching APWU T-shirts. 

The Akron Metro Area Local marched in the Barberton, OH, parade, holding Good Postal Service! Good Jobs! Good Contract! posters, as well as Stop Staples signs. 

Down south, Mara-Lynn Kontrafouris, president of the North Central Florida Area Local, reported that she and the local's editor, Phillip Breunig, collected signatures on nearly 200 postcards at a Labor Day Picnic.

The Atlanta Metro Area Local collected over 300 signed postcards at the Atlanta North Georgia Labor Council AFL-CIO's Labor Day celebration, and at family reunions. 

In Philadelphia’s Labor Day Parade, members of the American Postal Workers Union, National Postal Mail Handlers Union and National Association of Letter Carriers marched in unison as a sign of solidarity.

The Pittsburgh Metro Area Local marched in the city's local parade, carrying banners, posters and even driving in a Stop Staples campaign-themed car. 

The New York Metro Area Local marched in the city's parade, wearing special T-shirts that said, "Whose Post Office?" as well as Good Postal Service! Good Jobs! Good Contract! buttons. Members also carried "I Stand with Postal Workers" balloons and Stop Staples posters, while distrubuting Stop Staples flyers.

In New England, members of the Boston Metro Area Local, attended the Greater Boston AFL-CIO Breakfast – along with President Obama, who addressed the attendees.

Regional Coordinator John Dirzius, National Business Agent Steve Lukosus, and Local President Scott Hoffman also met with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) where they “had the opportunity to thank her for her continued support of postal banking and the APWU struggles," Dirzius reported.

Please send Labor Day photos to NCCC@apwu.org.